FSM pairs a couple of swinging sixties soundtracks by British composers from the Warner Bros. Records catalog: Hotel (1967) and Kaleidoscope (1966). Each film was the debut score of its respective composer, and each soundtrack makes its CD premiere here.

Hotel was a lavish adaptation of the Arthur Hailey novel about the operations of a New Orleans luxury hotel. Later made into an Aaron Spelling TV series, the theatrical version starred Rod Taylor, Catherine Spaak, Michael Rennie, Kevin McCarthy, Melvyn Douglas and other top-flight character actors in overlapping subplots of employees, magnates and guests—even a rascal of a sneak thief played by Karl Malden.

The excellent jazz/symphonic score to Hotel was by Johnny Keating, a Scottish big band composer/arranger who whose ingenious main theme plays in versions both minor-mode (for the imminent closing of the grand hotel) and major (for its bustling operation). He also provides a beautiful love theme, swinging New Orleans Dixieland source music, exciting chase music (for Malden's sneak thief on the loose), and two vocal versions of themes (the main theme and love theme) sung by jazz great Carmen McRae, who plays the hotel tavern bandleader in the film.

Keating's re-recording of the Hotel soundtrack for Warner Bros. Records is an outstanding example of an LP presentation. Long considered one of the best-sounding re-recordings ever made, it is remixed here from the four-track 1/2" master tapes for sterling sound quality. Keating may not be the most familiar name to film score collectors, but this first-rate work has big band orchestrations worthy of other masters of the period.

Kaleidoscope was an offbeat blending of genres—romantic comedy, spy thriller and crime caper—starring Warren Beatty as a smug playboy who executes a daring scheme to mark playing card artwork and thus rack up huge winnings on the gambling circuit. He is nabbed by Scotland Yard and forced to use his talents to bankrupt an English underworld leader; Susannah York costars as his on-again, off-again girlfriend.

British composer Stanley Myers (later known for The Deer Hunter and his collaborations with Hans Zimmer) provides the kind of swinging sixties English soundtrack that would make Austin Powers proud. An eclectic blend of jazz, rock, spy stylings and British culture (from London rock to old-fashioned dance-hall music), this is a long-lost entry from the Henry Mancini/John Barry/Lalo Schifrin style of sixties "mod"/spy adventure. The Warner Bros. Records LP is presented from the first-generation 1/4" stereo album master.

Johnny Keating (b. 1927) is a Scottish composer, arranger and songwriter best known for his career as a bandleader, but he made a splash with a handful of film scores in the late 1960s, including Hotel and Robbery. IMDB

Stanley Myers (1933-1993) was a British composer well versed in symphonic and pop idioms. He worked steadily in British film and TV from the early 1960s through 1993 but had successful assignments in the U.S. as well, most notably The Deer Hunter. He was a friend and mentor to Hans Zimmer and the two collaborated on several projects. FSM released one of Myers's earliest feature scores, Kaleidoscope. IMDB

Years ago...in the 80's, I bought an LP of HOTEL, and fell in love with the music. I purchased the CD immediately when it came out. I have never seen the movie, but I DVR'd it yesterday on TCM HD, and am looking forward to seeing it after being familiar with the music for so long.

I watched the opening few minutes and am already intrigued after seeing Karl Malden retrieve a hotel key from an ash tray, and then open his briefcase to reveal a whole collection of keys from many different hotels. I noticed his on-screen credit read something like: Karl Malden as the Key Thief....